World War Z

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched firsthand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living - or at least the undead - hell of that dreadful time.

It has long been one of my favourite books in written form, and I would definitely listen to it again. It is a fascinating story, either to read or listen to.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The various narrators all had accents suitable to their section of the story. This added greatly to the listening experience.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The part with the K9 teams got to me, and probably would to any dog lover.

Any additional comments?

This book has been available in abridged for a while, but I held out for the unabridged version which I hoped would come, and I am so glad I did. The book is very cleverly structured, with each narrative section leading on to the next, and some characters coming back in at later parts of the story. It is a fascinating and "realistic" view of a zombie apocalypse and how it might be rolled back. If you;re looking for gore and schlock horror, this isn't the book for you, but if you;re looking for good writing and characterisation then get this.

Bitter Seeds: The Milkweed Triptych, Book 1

Raybould Marsh is a British secret agent in the early days of World War II, haunted by something strange he saw on a mission during the Spanish Civil War: a German woman with wires going into her head who looked at him as if she knew him. It wasn’t his imagination; the wired woman can see into the future and use her knowledge to twist the present. In fact, Marsh soon discovers that the Nazis are running missions with people who have special powers....

I can't reccomend this highly enough. It's a little hard going at the very beginning as the various story strands are introduced, but they converge into a magnificently entertaining, if slightly grim story. Eagerly looking forward to the rest of the trilogy,

In the aftermath of WWII, an alien virus struck the Earth, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Originally published in 1987, the newly expanded saga contains additional original stories by eminent writers.

Loved these books when they came out and was overjoyed they had finally been released as audiobooks. And as a bonus there are some stories in the collection that didn't make it into the book... at least into the UK edition. Definitely worth a listen by anyone who enjoyed the books or later shows like Heroes and Alphas

The Colour of Magic: Discworld #1

The Colour of Magic, the first novel in Terry Pratchett's wildly imaginative Discworld series, takes the listener on a remarkable journey. The magical planet of Discworld is supported by four massive elephants who stand on the back of the Great A'Tuin, a giant turtle swimming slowly through the mysterious interstellar gulf. An eccentric expedition sets out to explore the planet, encountering dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course "The Edge" of the planet.

Nigel Planer does a superb job, giving each character a distinctive and suitable voice. The story just flies by. I was grabbed right from the opening paragraph describing Great A'Tuin's progress through space and will definitely be getting the next in the series.

Star Trek: Spock vs. Q (Adapted)

Ambassador Spock travels back in time to subtly warn Earth's inhabitants of impending doom while calling into question humanity's priorities. However, before the truth is told, the all-powerful being, Q, appears and reminds Spock that he is prohibited from interfering in Earth's history. Besides, Q doesn't see mankind as something worth saving.

The only redeeming feature of this audio programme was the performance of Q, which unfortunately only highlighted Leonard Nimoy's totally wooden Spock. The so-called riddles were turgid, convoluted and overly clever. This is one for serious Trekkers and convention goers only, everyone else should give it a miss.

Years ago I was lucky enough to stumble on a series of abridged readings of the Rumpole stories by Leo McKern. It is a real pity that he could not have been prevailed on to narrate an unabridged version.

The narrator falls short of the rich tones that anyone who has seen the dramatisation now expects of their Rumpole. Having said that the stories are good enough to survive this disappointment and all told I was not disappointed by the purchase.

Listen to the sample and decide for yourselves how much the lack of Rumpole himself detracts from the performance.

Deathstalker War Collection: Episodes 1-5

Fate had made Owen Deathstalker a rebel hero in an empire choked by tyranny. He stoked the flames of revolution, gathering the forces that, one day, must strike against Imperial authority. That day has come. Owen and the rebel forces must now bring the uprising to a fiery conclusion. But the desperate cause will need more than an army of courageous fighters to succeed, for the cunning Empress Lionstone has evil surprises to unleash.

An excellent conclusion to the Deathstalker Saga. My only complaint is that the tidied up ending (I won't spoil things by saying any more than that) doesn't leave any opening for the production of the last book in the series, Deathstalker Legacy. That aside it was another high paced romp through the galaxy with a fabulous collection of over the top characters. Brain candy of the highest order.

Deathstalker Rebellion Collection: Episodes 1-5

Only Owen Deathstalker, outlawed, with a price on his head and a mighty warrior lineage in his veins, had the courage to take up sword and energy gun against Queen Lionstone XIV. Now as he gathers his unlikely force, the legendary washed-up hero Jack Random, the beautiful pirate Hazel d'Arc, the original Deathstalker long since presumed dead, and the alien Hadenmen, the eyes of the downtrodden are upon him...while the freedom of a galaxy awaits.

Deathstalker Collection: Episodes 1-5

The imperial Majesty Lionstone XIV ruled the human Empire with fear. When Owen Deathstalker, unwilling head of his clan, sought to avoid the perils of the Empire's warring factions, he unexpectedly found a price on his head. He fled to Mistworld, where he began to build an unlikely force to topple the thrown. With the help of his crew, Deathstalker took the first step on a far more dangerous journey to claim the role for which he'd been destined since before his birth.

Having read these books in print I was extremely pleased to find an audio version, especially a dramatised one. The voices suited the characters and the story fairly steamed along. Nothing intellectually challenging about these books, but they lack for nothing in the entertainment stakes.

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